but this is NOT a typical blah-blah-blah memoirPlanning is for sissies. A solo bike ride across the country will be filled with sunshine, lollipops, rainbows, and 80 degree temps every day, right? Not so much. The Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, an alkaline desert, and the Sierra Nevadas lay miles and days ahead. Disappointment with unrealized potential, and the thirst for what’s next drew farther away in the rotating wide-angle shockproof convex rear-view mirror.I will ride my bike down a never-ending ribbon of asphalt wearing a backpack.Cory Mortensen began his bike ride across the United States from Chaska, Minnesota, to Truckee, California, without a route, a timeline, or proper equipment. Along the way, he gained more than technical skills required for a ride that would test every fiber of his physical being and mental toughness. Ride along as he meets “unusual” characters, dangerous animals, and sweet little old ladies with a serious vendetta for strangers in their town.Humor ■ Insight ■ Adventure ■ Gratitude ■ PeaceFrom long stretches of road ending in a vanishing point at the distant horizon, to stunning vistas, terrifying close calls, grueling conditions, failed equipment, and joyous milestones he stayed the course and gained an appreciation for the beauty of the land, the genius of engineering and marvel of nature.

    JPL Corporation shredded her ground-breaking project, fired her and her team and blacklisted her. And then Ensley discovers the man who asked her to marry him is not only behind her being banished, but he’s sleeping with her supervisor. The devastation appears complete until Ensley receives a call from Sheriff Jack Trace of Spirit Springs, Idaho. Her father is missing. Ensley shoves everything else aside and leaves her high-powered life in the nation’s capital for the high desert of Idaho. The day she arrives in Spirit Springs, her father is shot, and dies in her arms. Determination consumes her as she focuses on finding her dad’s murderer. Ensley is continually hampered by Jack, the town’s great-looking sheriff who’s intent on keeping her safe, whether she wants him to or not. “Staggs’ characters are skillfully intertwined with the mystery. A must read. Bring on the next book in the series.” Jan Hambright, Romantic Suspense Author Five Star Reviews: “This book was a very easy read. I couldn't put it down. I definitely would recommend giving this new author a try.” “This book kept me on my toes with each chapter, I look forward to the next ones in this series. The writing is smart, and it will keep you interested until the end.” “This is a fast-paced book with mystery, suspense and a sassy heroine you're going to love. Ensley Markus is off to the first of many adventures! Enjoy!” “Fun to read, always looked forward to getting back to it.”

    An unknown and unstoppable outlaw. When their paths cross, all clues point to a killer. Reno, Nevada. Nine years after her mother’s still unsolved murder, former homeless teen Zoë Cruse has found stability with a husband, child, and a career as a tattoo artist. But when a biker comes in and asks for new ink, Zoë can’t help but draw comparisons between one of the images on his back and her mother’s death. Worse, his other ink appears to represent a deadly pattern, one that may indicate he’s a serial offender.Determined to unearth the truth despite her husband’s disbelief, Zoë researches the images and infiltrates the man’s notorious motorcycle club in search of evidence. But with the police, federal agents, and a rival gang all in pursuit of the same outlaw, her quest for closure may end with more than one person in the morgue…including her family.Can she unravel the mystery and find justice before she ends up six feet under?The Tattoo Artist is the chilling third book in the Women of Redemption suspense thriller series, featuring women who may not be perfect, but perfectly kick-ass when given a second chance. If you like strong female characters, fast-paced plots, and tension-filled pages, then you’ll love Lori Lacefield’s spine-tingling tale.

    Or your relationships. Or your job. Or your whatever.   Sometimes you even feel pushed to the side, put on the shelf, overlooked, and not particularly important to, well, anything.   Sometimes, you feel even less important. . .than a side of rice and beans. (You know, kind of like that stuff served on the side that no one really asked for?)   What if you found out you were something more like tableside guacamole—that fancy kind they wheel up to the table and make right on the spot?   What if you were made on purpose, for a purpose that can release God’s glorious colors and flavors in the world?   You didn’t arrive here by accident, nor have you been served up as an unwanted side dish. The God of creation has created you, and He isn't waiting for you to become some better version of yourself so He can finally love you. . .or use you. . .or delight in you. Generously seasoned with humor and empathy, with stories of triumph, failure, heartbreak, and redemption, Holy Guacamole will connect your heart to the unchanging truths of God’s Word and the unfailing power of God’s call to live a life full of His love for you and for the world. God longs to reveal to you all the ways you are His beautiful, flavorful, colorful creation. Let Him show you all the ways you are Holy Guacamole—His masterpiece, His signature offering to a world in need of His love.

    After losing both parents in a car accident and being raised by a grandmother obsessed with death, Andi is struggling with an unusual quest for a girl her age-- to determine whether there is life after death.It is 1966, and Castalia, Indiana, like most cities of that time, is grappling with social and cultural change. Meanwhile, rumors have long swirled around Castalia's Lincoln Elementary School. Over its long history, the school has produced two sixth graders who claim to have seen Lincoln's ghost in the school's auditorium. When Andi prays on her dead mother's rosary to be the next to encounter Lincoln's ghost in order to confirm the existence of an after-life, a complex chain of events is set into motion, including the appearance of John Malone, a new boy at school who harbors an explosive secret, and mysterious moaning emanating from behind the dark stage after school. While Andi desperately seeks answers to life's most difficult questions, an unlikely new friend emerges--a mystical bait shop owner named Ezra.Searching for Lincoln's Ghost is a story about coming-of-age during the tumultuous 1960s, exploring such disturbing topics as personal isolation, fear and depression, bullying, social and racial intolerance. Peppered with Lincoln folklore and history, it is a timeless tale of the power of love, empathy, and how the actions of one person can profoundly impact another.

    He leaves them for several, short minutes to make a secret phone call to his ex-mistress. When he returns, they have vanished without a trace. Their abandoned drinks are set upon their seats, right next to his wife's phone.He is forced to admit that they have gone, and calls the police for help. An investigation is launched, but it's immediately obvious to Clayton that the chief detective is determined to find him guilty...With no one to turn to and with the police case drawing focus around him, he is forced to start his own investigation.Clayton has been keeping secrets, but it soon becomes apparent that his wife has some disturbing secrets of her own...And the more he digs, the more he discovers that these secrets may just be the cause of her mysterious disappearance...

    From the urgent skills gap crisis to the proven strategies to inspire our youngest generations, Answering Why addresses the burning questions faced by educators, employers, and parents everywhere. Author, CEO, and generational expert Mark C. Perna shares his wide experience and profound success as both a single dad and performance consultant for education and workforce development across North America. Readers will be empowered to:• Embrace the branch-creak crisis moments of life • Make meaningful, productive connections with the Why Generation (anyone under 40 today) • Bring relevance, self-discovery, and passion to the learning process ​The Why Generation is asking a serious question, and it’s time to answer it. This book will help awaken the incredible potential of young people everywhere and spur them to increased performance on all fronts, so they can make a bigger difference—which is exactly what they want.

    Honoring the tradition of noted historical fiction writers such as Ken Follett, Philippa Gregory, and James Clavell, The Opium Lord's Daughter artfully weaves true events and characters into the narrative, offering the reader a selective glimpse into a world populated with rogue drug traders, imperialist government officials, religious zealots, scrappy survivors. Su-Mei, the eponymous protagonist, is a young woman unbounded by convention. From the moment we meet little Su-Mei, she valiantly resists her wealthy and powerful father—one of the largest opium traders in mid-19th century China—who attempts to force her into the barbaric practice of foot binding. Through her, readers look with fresh eyes upon antiquated and harmful traditions, and understand how time and experiences truly shape a person during their life's journey.  Her defiance sets in motion a series of events, forever altering her fate, as well as the fates of those she holds dear. Su-Mei is forced to rapidly come-of-age and muster her heroic spirit to survive her crumbling world. Taboo romances, tumultuous adventures, and heart-wrenching tragedies befall Su-Mei and her loved ones throughout the course of the story. The Opium Lord's Daughter is an expedition through the destruction of a culture, underscoring the hold and havoc drug empires continue to exert in society, even to this day. A must read for fans of Shogun, Downtown Abbey, Outlander and other sweeping tales rooted in history!

    Set during the mid-1800s in the vast grainfields of Russia, Who Is to Blame? follows the lives of two star-crossed serfs, Elizaveta and Feodor, torn apart by their own families and the Church while simultaneously trapped in the inhumane life of poverty to which they were born.At the other end of the spectrum, Count Maximov and his family struggle to maintain harmony amidst a tapestry of deception and debauchery woven by the Count’s son. The plot twists further when the Tsar emancipates twenty million serfs from bondage as the rural gentry’s life of privilege and carelessness takes its final bow, and much of Russia’s nobility faces possible financial ruin.

    I was born under the banner of war. I'm ready to enlist, sign the contract to serve for ten years under the ally ranks. We're done, me and my friends are. We must leave this shit-hole country conquered by the totalitarians. I was born here. Now I'm ready to leave it behind. We're going to war.The world is being conquered by the Megachine, a totalitarian regime commanding more than a billion drones. They are strong. Undefeated. Unrivaled. They have wiped out the ally drone force and now they are moving in for the final blow. First they took Europe, then Asia. With the help of the Chavistas, they conquered Latin America. The world is about to fall. I have to--need to serve--to fight for whatever freedom is left!

    A complicated web of clues leaves Sasha and his team with more questions than answers: What's the killer's motive? And how are the victims connected to one another? As the story begins to unravel, the ordinarily calm and collected Sasha begins to feel the immense pressure of the case. Will he be able to solve the mystery before time runs out and bring justice to all who were affected?

    No matter how much cash or experience you currently have, this book will take you on a journey through buying your first multifamily investment property and give you a framework for turning that into long-term financial freedom. Millionaires are created every day—isn’t it time you joined the ranks? It won’t happen overnight and it won’t always be easy, but The Multifamily Millionaire series will make sure it happens sooner than you ever thought possible! Inside this book, you’ll discover:• How to create a million-dollar net worth in five years using the stack method • The seven different types of small multifamily real estate and which make the best rental properties• How to quickly and accurately analyze your investment, whether its two units or twenty units • Three creative no and low money down strategies that work in any market• A game-changing algorithm for estimating your ongoing repair and reserve expenses • The powerful Multifamily Millionaire Model that illustrates how a million dollars can be created from one single deal• Six off-market acquisition strategies to help you land incredible deals, even in a competitive market• How the BRRRR strategy can help you supercharge your small multifamily portfolio• Detailed instructions for managing your growing portfolio (hint: find five-star tenants!)• And so much more

    Rich By Retirement gives simple, low-cost investment advice that's tailored for the Singaporean market and for Singaporean investors. It'll help you get started with investing - in Singapore and in overseas markets; you'll learn how to save and invest for the long term; and you'll even have some fun along the way. Here's what you'll learn: * How to start an emergency fund to cover those unexpected expenses; * Whether you really need all those insurance policies; * How to invest in Singapore without paying high costs; * How to buy into overseas markets and diversify your investments; * How to turn your first investments into an investment that'll last the rest of your life; * How to spot - and avoid! - an investment scam; * And ten simple rules for investing for the long term. Rich By Retirement is friendly and easy to follow, so you can read it and put the investment strategies into action straight away. It's written for the regular investor, so anyone can use its advice, whether you're a new investor or already well-off. And the book explains why you're doing what you're doing; you get more than just a strategy, you'll learn how and why it works.

    Richard “Rip” Taggart used to lead this unit, until after seeing and experiencing too much on the battlefield he snaps and executes an American in cold blood in Afghanistan. Now, two years later, he has been exiled from his brothers in Six and works for a private security group in Nigeria until he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and is captured by Boko Haram along with a group of Nigerian school girls.But the brotherhood of the SEALS runs deep. Once Rip’s unit finds out that he has been taken, they demand to be the ones to bring him back home. But as they mount their rescue operations, they find themselves squaring off against an enigmatic lieutenant of a rising terrorist group, someone who seems to have a particular interest in getting to Rip first.Based off the gripping new series from creators David Broyles, Special Operations veteran, and William Broyles, and inspired by the true stories and events involving SEAL Team Six, Six: Blood Brothers will give readers a visceral taste of what it means to be part of this squad, balancing their own personal demons and complications of family life with the need to serve their country and be there for their brothers-in-arms.

    Until a child asks him to use his skills to find her missing friend.Nine-year-old Jophia Williams vanishes on a lonely country road, leaving behind only a blood-soaked dress and a headless teddy bear. Strait discovers the "murder" scene was faked and that other African-American children have also gone missing. As he chases down clues revealing an underworld of racist fanatics in his hometown, he needs to fight people who will go to any length to stop him, including an incompetent police chief, his conniving superiors at the FBI, and a mysterious stranger on a motorcycle trying to kill him.To find Jophia, Strait must also contend with the horrors of his disease and demons from his past. Can he win the race against time to rescue the girl? Can he save himself?